For a species so smart, human beings actually have a pretty dismal record at not making mistakes. This dynamic has already popped up on the surface quite a few times throughout our history, with each of these appearances practically forcing us to look for a defensive cover. We will, however, solve our conundrum in the most fitting way possible, and we’ll do so by bringing dedicated regulatory bodies into the fold. Having a well-defined authority across each and every area was a game-changer, as it instantly gave us a safety cushion against our many shortcomings. Now, the kind of utopia you would generally expect from such a development did arrive, but it notably failed to stick around for a long time. Talk about what caused its sudden death, the answer has to include technology before anything else. You see, the moment technology got its layered nature to take over the scene, it allowed every individual an unprecedented chance to fulfill their ulterior motives, even if it meant doing it at the expense of others’ well-being. In case this didn’t sound bad enough, the whole runner soon began to materialize on such a massive scale that it expectantly overwhelmed our governing forces and sent them back to the drawing board. After a lengthy struggle, though, it seems like the regulatory contingent is finally ready to make a comeback. The same has turned more and more evident in recent times, and truth be told, Snapchat’s latest decision should only solidify its traces moving forward.
Snapchat is officially set to launch a new privacy setting, which is designed to help its California-based users in better protecting their personal information. Now, while it might not be apparent right away, the move actually follows-up on California’s decision to pass a bill called the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), a bill that was conceived to remedy the deficiencies of an earlier California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). But how are the two legislations different? Well, in simpler words, the new law makes a significant addition to all those data collection and data retention-related obligations introduced by the CCPA. For instance, it brings new notification requirements and clarifies that users have the right to opt out of both the sharing and the sale of their personal information. Hence, the law not only allows you to see who is collecting your personal details, but it also lets you access the relevant information, correct it, delete it, transfer it, and possibly stop its sale, without dragging you through any legal ramifications. In order to strengthen the wider privacy landscape, the CPRA will even create a whole another category for “sensitive data”, thus helping the regulators big time in terms of deciding which cases they need to prioritize.
Snapchat, on its part, will establish compliance with the law in question by presenting a simple toggle switch under its Privacy Controls section. Once there, the user can select an option called “California Privacy Choices”. A click here will quickly reveal a new option to “Limit the use of sensitive personal information.” If a user cashes in on their power to do so, they’ll prevent Snapchat from collecting various critical details such as their precise geolocation.
Considering how companies like Facebook would, in the past, make it hard for users to find such privacy settings, and even harder to use them, Snapchat’s simplistic bid could very well be a groundbreaking development within the tech regulation space.